Applaud feds, but if we’re serious about changing dietary habits, we must start with our young Canadians

By ISG Senator Marty DeaconFeb. 4, 2019

Canada is falling behind in getting the right kind of food onto the plates of our youth, and there remains no better way to change this than through a universal children and youth nutrition program.

The federal government recently released its revamped Canada Food Guide which, among other things, encourages Canadians to eat more fruits and vegetables, and to get more of their protein from plant based sources, rather than the animal based sources we have grown accustomed to. But changing our food guide is just one piece of a broader dietary puzzle. Image courtesy of Health Canada/Canada Food Guide

For many of us, diet is often top of mind when our calendars change over. But what and how we eat has been in the news for reasons beyond new year’s resolutions these past few weeks. For instance, 37 scientists from the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health recently outlined a diet that will not only help us live longer, but also allows for sustainability as the global population grows. Moreover, the federal government recently released its revamped Canada Food Guide which, among other things, encourages Canadians to eat more fruits and vegetables, and to get more of their protein from plant based sources, rather than the animal based sources we have grown accustomed to.

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